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Anna, a patient at the community mental health center, tends to stop taking her medications at intervals, usually leading to decompensation. Which of the following interventions would most likely improve her adherence to her medications?

1) Providing education about the importance of medication adherence
2) Offering reminders through phone calls or text messages
3) Simplifying the medication regimen
4) Involving a family member or caregiver in medication management

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

To improve medication adherence for Anna, educating her on the importance of medication adherence, offering reminders, simplifying her medication regimen, or involving a family member in her medication management could all be beneficial. Supervised therapy models like DOT offer an example of the effectiveness of support in adherence.

Step-by-step explanation:

Anna, a patient at the community mental health center, tends to stop taking her medications at intervals, usually leading to decompensation. Improving medication adherence is crucial in such cases to prevent conditions from worsening and to manage illnesses effectively. Among the listed interventions, several might improve Anna's medication adherence.

Education about the importance of medication adherence could enlighten Anna about the consequences of not taking medications regularly and the benefits of maintaining a consistent regimen. However, while knowledge is important, it might not be sufficient to change behavior in the long term.

Offering reminders through phone calls or text messages could serve as consistent, practical support to remind Anna to take her medication, especially in the digital age where most people carry and respond to their mobile devices regularly.

Simplifying the medication regimen can help by making it less cumbersome for Anna to manage her medications, which could reduce the likelihood of her stopping them due to complexity or confusion.

Finally, involving a family member or caregiver in medication management provides a social support system and accountability, which has been shown to be highly effective in improving adherence.

Directly observed therapy (DOT), as mentioned in the context of tuberculosis management, might be an example of involving another party to manage medication intake and ensure adherence. While it might not be suitable for all conditions and patients, it emphasizes the impact of supervised or supported medication administration in improving adherence.

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